I’ve had some fab feedback about this week’s podcast episode – it got lots of resistance worried children to school pronto. Truly Madly Smiley is all about that: Teaching children to go within and work out what makes them happy. It means they will have an exceptional life and it means they will have the confidence and the know-how when life goes wonky.

Life is hard and does go wonky. Growing up is hard. Nobody has all the answers but we can remain curious, and open to learning.

What is the cost of your child’s happiness?

It’s priceless. It’s intangible. It’s immeasurable.

Happiness is NOT a place you arrive at. It’s a place you discover inside of yourself.

It takes time.

The cost of not taking care of their happiness?

The risk of anxiety, suicide, depression, mental health issues and addiction.

There is no quick fix

Last time I looked, I had NO magic wand!

Although the kids have some incredibly kind things to say about me and there is a certain magic about coaching which remains a mystery to me. 

Do you think coaching is expensive?

I guess that depends if you value it. I guess you value it more if you desperately need it. 

Why don’t we as a society value this kind of education for our children?

I remember once, one Mum wrote in her feedback questionnaire that she was so appreciative for all the help and support I had given her daughter who had acute anxiety which morphed into panic attacks. It was preventing her from getting on public transport and feeling safe at school. In her mind, coaching had been a huge success …and then came the BUT.

It was expensive.

Now I can totally see where she might be coming from – 12 weeks of coaching at £1,000 may sound expensive to some.….and here’s my BUT(!) I wrote back: ‘What is the cost to you of your daughter having her peace of mind back? How much would you pay for her to be panic free and know how to deal with any anxiety should it arise again?’

Her reply? ‘When you put it like that, it’s not expensive at all.’

It’s NOT expensive to get your life back. And that’s what I do. 

I give kids the courage + freedom to be themselves

My wish for kids to grow up equipped for the tricky stuff and feeling empowered to deal with it. Cos they’re gonna have to. Come to think of it, when you look at some of my lower priced products Smiley Sweet Dreams, Be Your Own Best Friend, How to Tame Your Angry Dragon, you can learn it for yourself for under £100.

Yes you really can do it for yourself. I have every faith in you. 

How much do you value your emotional wellbeing?

People think nothing of spending £500 on holidays, on their kids education, on afterschool clubs, toys, birthday parties, dental care, healthcare, cars and so on. I’m not going to tell you how to prioritise your spending because that’s none of my business, but I would encourage you to look at your priorities.

Are you going to break the cycle? Do you have what it takes to discover your own kind of happy for your family?

I hope so. I never lose hope. I’m always hopeful that parents will choose to overlook their issues or their needs temporarily to give their child the very basics for growing up happy. You need to because in my mind, the evidence is such that you CANNOT afford to play Russian Roulette with childhood because childhood trauma is at the core of all grown-up heartbreak.

We KNOW it’s mostly nurture and not nature. Check out the statistics in this blog post.

Reality check: One adult therapy session = £50 or worse still: years of therapy because you didn’t get your emotional needs met growing up= £10,000 pounds and years of your life trying to figure it all out!

Helpful suggestions to kick start your coaching on a shoestring!

1) Check out the TRULY MADLY SMILEY PODCAST and let your child get to know me.

2) Check out all the FREEBIES made with love.

3) Buy a box of SMILEY THOUGHT CARDS and learn how to develop a growth mindset.

4) Read my BOOK ‘Stuck Between Two Worlds’ and learn how Ruby finally finds friends who get her, overcomes her anxiety and moves past her anger. It comes with a free Read-Along Guide that’s packed with coaching exercises, journal prompts and creative fun so you can bring the book to life. 

5) Enjoy a SMILEY COACHING CLASS, there are lots to choose from. Your child will thank you for it because they will feel less anxious and much happier as a result.

6) Join my CHAMPIONS OF CHILDREN COMMUNITY where you’ll meet loads of like-minded souls who get it. They are passionate about changing the way we prepare children for life and recognise the value of emotional well-being.

Which one is the best one to start with?

It doesn’t matter. What matters most is that you just START!

There’s NO change without action. I discovered this and wrote 10 Ways to Make the Hardest Job in the World Easier.

There will always be a reason NOT to. There will always be something else which is a priority.

You will never find a good time if you’re afraid. Your fear will keep you stuck.  

So, what exactly is the true cost of your child’s happiness?

It’s frustrating too many people fail to realise the importance of preventative maintenance – – think of it like an insurance policy for future happiness.

Here are 8 preventative measures you can take today!

Long term, what is the cost of ignoring a child’s basic need?

They need emotional intelligence more than they need an education. The evidence is very clear to me.

So whilst you can’t put a price on it, it’s VERY VERY serious food for thought ….